My crazy, yet enjoyable, fit life

Survival Mode

I’m just going to go ahead and throw it out there. Single moms are incredible. Thankfully, my husband only travels for work for more than a few nights a week, every once awhile. It’s during these times that I am reminded how much he actually does (and how good an hour break from kids in the evening feels). Sure I have a sitter that comes over a few days a week, but when she is here, I go to work. I would love to use that time to get a pedicure or stroll through the mall. It’s really not the break that you are thinking of.

Let me pick up where I left off last week. I turned 31! What?! I am for real in my thirties now. There is no border line. Incredibly, I feel like I’m still in my twenties. That won’t ever change will it? My husband and I did not do anything on my actual birthday, however, we did go out the following weekend for dinner at Napa on Providence. We had our rehearsal dinner there when it was Providence Cafe. We hadn’t been back since. Whoa! We were missing out. See my meal above. I was all set to order fish when I did my pre-dinner scan of the menu online. I ended up getting this ridiculous beef tenderloin. Red wine anyone? Incredible. We will be back.

We topped off birthday week with donuts from new kid on the block – Duck Donuts. I had no idea what to expect when I opened the doors to this franchise. MTO. Made To Order. Wait. I was put on the spot big time. Who knew? The cinnamon sugar donut was a no brainer. In my hesitation, I ordered the daily special as my other selection. Reeses. Spot on. The special deal here is $4 for two donuts and coffee. I can dig that. I just hope that they can get enough people to stay open at that price!

Let’s be serious though. I can afford to eat bad sometimes because I do take my workouts seriously. This week was no exception. I have been trying to sub at Flywheel Charlotte all over the place. I have been gone a lot. People have been covering for me. I am working to return the favor. That said, Monday morning I picked up an additional class on top of my (now regular) 10:45 AM class. Loved the group. See playlist above.

On Monday, Girls on the Run officially kicked off its Fall 2015 season. I was there. While I am only an assistant coach this year, I already feel so much camaraderie between the girls on just the first day. I actually brought a sitter with my girls to the practice. They were not in plain sight, but at least my girls had a chance to spend some time outdoors on the playground (instead of cramped up in the house). 1 week down. 9 to go. I am so excited to be a part of this organization. It is important for me to give back so much of what running (and fitness, in general) have given to me. I hope that these girls find a friend and/or a role model in spending time with me. Times have changed. I know how hard getting through school was when I was there. I’m sure it hasn’t gotten easier.

Y’all, I taught at Flywheel Thursday – Monday. I doubled three out of five of those days. By Tuesday, I was ready to throw around some heavy weights. Not literally, but I wanted (and needed) to pick up something heavy. I once saw a quote that said, “Nothing is more functional than carrying around heavy s*it.” I agree with parts of that statement. Feeling physically strong is empowering. I did a modified Spartan Training workout. See below. It took every bit of one hour. I used the new sled that my husband got me for my birthday.

Burpee Pull up x 10

Wall Balls x 20

Tricep Extension x 20

Step Up x 20 (with sandbag)

Deadlift x 20

Pull up x 10

Bicep Curl x 20 (with sandbag)

Box Jump x 20

Sled Pull x5 – pull backwards back to start

Heavy carry – 5 minutes – I used our bucket filled with rocks

Repeat 3-4 times.

I am going to be running in another Spartan Race in the next 1-2 months. I haven’t picked which one. I’m sure if you look at the schedule you can guess which ones I have on my mind. I will keep training and keep you posted in the meantime!

I had to find my way back to Flywheel Tuesday. I HAD to. You see, almost two years ago, we hired our first baby sitter. Her name is Kelsey. Since then, Kelsey has grown so much professionally and literally become a part of our family. She joined the Flywheel family over a year ago. She intended to one day become an instructor. Well, she tried out, she trained and she had her practice ride on Tuesday night. She was incredible. I am one proud friend.

Talk about watching someone set a goal and reaching it. She has come so far since the day that she walked into our house and picked up our oldest daughter for the first time. If you haven’t met her, please introduce yourself. Her energy is infectious. Her friendship is genuine. Go Kelsey!

My husband left Tuesday morning early. I managed to get through Tuesday okay. My parents were here to help when I needed it. I didn’t sleep much Tuesday night, but I did manage to get up early on Wednesday morning to do a SmartCore HICC workout (HIgh Intensity Core Conditioning). You got it. I design it. I do it. I know exactly how I want you to feel, because I put myself through the same pain. Again, every bit of one hour.

My motivation for getting up was really driven by the fact that I had a busy morning. I dropped one child off at preschool before heading to Flywheel for a fall photo shoot and lunch with friends. I am LOVING my new head shot. So much more representative of who I am. Jen D.

When dad goes away, no one is on their routine. Bummer. In an attempt to get every one to nap, I laid out pillows on the floor, so I could at least lay down. My attempt turned into one after another failed selfie attempts. Hey, at least we had fun (and wasted 20 minutes!)

I love these kids. I am also lucky to work for a company that sometimes gets tickets to local concerts and events. In my Thursday class, we raffled off tickets to Disney On Ice. A suite. On a Saturday. While this is typically a small class, I was actually excited to see how many people showed up for a chance to win. I honestly felt bad as I dug in the pot to pick the winner. I wanted everyone to win!

When daddy is gone, there is no break. I drink a lot of coffee. I realize I am not as much of a super mom as I think I am sometimes. Biggest takeaway for next time? I need to hire a sitter to come over one evening so I can get away, and not go to work. I don’t care if I go to Target and walk aimlessly through the shoe aisle. I need some adult time. Quiet. No worries that someone is going to need something. Hence, why I give single moms so much credit. I love these kids more than they will ever know, but I need an hour or two a day to be the best mom that I can be. They are growing up too fast. Time is going by too fast. I wish I could push pause somedays.